#x. meta

[missgwendolyne]

Sometimes I think about the young and teen heroes of Marvel and even D.C and I get really sad about it. Being a hero is mentally and physically exhausting. It’s painful and yet you see young heroes like Peter Parker, Miles Morales , Gwen Stacy and so many more out there doing it. Like look at this face, this is the face of a child. 

Below is a more in depth explanation of my thoughts on teen heroes.

Teen heroes put themselves through so much to protect and help people they don’t even know. They do it because they feel so deeply obligated to help others and do what they believe is right. It’s such a sacrifice and they take it all on, mostly on their own. Think about all the pressures and anxieties of your average everyday teen and then add feeling responsible for the safety of others or even the safety of entire cities. 

 Most of their parents don’t know the truth, which means shouldering all that themselves with very few people to turn to for help and the people that they usually tell are other teens that can only provide so much help or comfort. Then add the usual family tragedy that most suffer on top of that.  It’s a wonder that they’re functioning teens at all.  They see so much tragedy and trauma and yet they remain good people.  They keep those things to themselves rather than wanting to burden others. 

And then I feel like they mostly do all this without complaint because it’s something that they feel obligated to do. It’s not really a choice to them. I just mean its all so much to ask of anyone but to ask it of children ? It just feels like too much and it's not ever really addressd. 

[walkingshcdow-a]

Stolas has some... feelings about recent fan predictions of his death.

[forzia-blog]

PERSONAL BLOGS, DO NOT REBLOG.

Clocktown is perhaps the most advanced civilization in a Zelda game to-date, sporting a late 1800s/early 1900s vibe with hydro-powered machines, republican political meetings, a bustling tourism industry and an economic miracle in-play. The town has multiple stores and shops, some of which act as simple pawn shops, martial-artistry dojos, a bank and even a modernized post-office. Throughout Clocktown we see many instances of man-made machines, such as the waterwheel inside of the Clocktower that runs on hydrodynamic motion. The bomb shop houses electric light and a schematic of a rocket ship that is meant to take mankind to the moon. We see constant references to the different races around Termina coexisting in economic harmony, buying and selling and trading the available wares from their respective provinces. All of this is a stark contrast to the medieval setting we last saw in Hyrule. Link has essentially gone through to this dimension, or perhaps even gone through time  ( considering the focus of the game ).  I'd like to take a moment to focus on different characters and their direct ties to the technology and history of Clocktown as a whole.

Guru-Guru hasn't changed much at all, save for the fact that he now has a BACKSTORY. Interestingly enough, he was part of a music troupe that consisted entirely of animals with him being the only human. This gives us insight into the budding entertainment industry throughout Termina, which includes the Gorman Troupe jugglers and dancers, the Indigo-gos, and countless game-type shops found in western Clocktown. Not to mention that these characters, as well as karaoke singers and gig-based bands, offer live shows at the MILK BAR, a members-only club/bar adjacent from the Stock-Pot-Inn...

Which is run by Anju and her strict mother. This inn is two-story and has several rooms available throughout the year, but Anju states that it becomes extremely crowded and impossible to book a room during the Carnival of Time. This denotes an active tourism industry, since even the above listed entertainment troupes compete for a spot to perform during the carnival. Anju is also concerned with a big wedding, in which she will wear a self-made mask for her fiance...

Kafei, the son of Madame Aroma and Mayor Dotour. Whether or not the Mayor is an elected official or if it is an inherited position is unclear, but the meeting seen between himself, mutoh the carpenter and Captain Viscen of Clocktown’s military forces shows a diplomatic and republican ( of belonging to a republic ) way of decisive thinking. Ultimately the decision falls to Mayor Dotour, but only after he listens to the advice of the townspeople. however, during this meeting we can actually see a reference to two coexisting parties; Mutoh acts in the best interests of Economic Capitalism, wanting the carnival to go on as planned despite the blatant dangers. Captain Viscen acts in the interests of the military, who want the townsfolk to flee so that they have the best chances of surviving and to hell with the carnival. Kafei also seems to have a good friend in the owner of the Curiosity Shop, who his father claims is a bad influence on him. During the mission in Ikana Canyon when you are attempting to retrieve Kafei’s mask alongside him, you encounter several new forms of technology. This includes a conveyor belt, an alarm system and a locking mechanism. The owner of the hideout, Sakon, also appears to keep the crime rate in Clocktown quite high.

Next up? The Bombers Gang; a group of do-gooders that go around town befriending and helping out the townsfolk. Once Link joins, he is given a notebook and several stickers to use inside of it. ( and on that note, everything on the desks of others seem to show that they write using ink pens. )  they also show him a secret entrance to, in my opinion, one of the most advanced places in the game: The Astronomer’s Observatory. Composed of a gigantic telescope with enough power to look at the moon and stars, it is here that Professor Shikashi engages his occupation as an astronomer and studies outer space. 

Granted, this particular post is only to make note of the technology in Clocktown, but there are numerous other sources of technology; this includes The Great Bay Temple, the entire musical setup at Zora Cape ( which includes electric guitars, bass guitars, drum sets, Speakers, etc. ) and of course the music-box house in Ikana Canyon.... and a lot of other stuff, really. Like the Pictograph Box!!!!

Link must’ve felt an insane amount of culture shock upon coming to termina. The only thing that could really resemble this sort of technology in Hyrule would be the jukebox in Castletown or the Windmill in Kakoriko Village. Leaving Termina must’ve been equally difficult however. Even though he’d been going through the same three days over and over again, the advancements and accommodations in this world must’ve been very easy to get used to. And as we go into the era of Twilight Princess, we can see that many of these aspects never flourished in Hyrule at all. 

[missgwendolyne]

So considering I’m currently super emotional about Gwen and Peter’s relationship here’s a long meta about it. 

Gwen Stacy and Peter Parker are and were in love. I’m not an expert in all forms of media when it comes to Peter and Gwen and even Spider-Man in general but I can say with the utmost confidence that they were deeply in love. That’s why Gwen’s death is so devastating to Peter. 

Most of the time when I write Gwen and Peter together in the sense of shipping  I imagine that Peter is Gwen’s first love, not her first crush, and not just her first boyfriend ( which most times he usually is), but her first love. I write Gwen in a primarily MCU based timeline which means Peter and Gwen are both on the younger side but I don’t ever feel like that diminishes Gwen’s love for Peter. They’re friends first before they start a relationship and begin this gentle journey through the different stages of a relationship and love. At first it’s young and new and maybe not full-fledged but she still loves him and I think that it continually progresses and evolves. I think that this love doesn’t have any less value then if they were older. Gwen is there to help and support Peter in any way she can and I feel like Peter does the same.

Also as you guys may or may not know TASM has a heavy influence on how I write my Gwen so I subscribe to the idea that Gwen was gonna go off to college in England and as the film suggests Peter was going to follow her there and I love that idea. I think it would have allowed them to grow together into adult life and it would be something they would be able to do together. They’d help each other navigate this bigger sort of world that they’re entering. 

But I also like the idea of Gwen surviving and going there on her own to grow into her own person without having to live up to any expectations. I think that she would have explored her sexuality a little bit more and maybe had her first girlfriend but that she’d ultimately come back to New York and back to Peter. I always think that if Gwen hadn’t been killed that she and Peter would have been together. I just can’t imagine anything but death being able to permanently separate the two of them. I feel like even through distance and hardships they’d be able to find their way back together.

They’d have been that couple who dated all through high school and ended up getting married at 25 ( I’m honestly a sucker for any opportunity for Gwen to call Peter her husband) and they’d just be happy because they had each other. All other problems can be solved if they have each other. I think after establishing careers they would have explored and talked about the idea of kids and maybe even had some

I just feel like Peter and Gwen had the sort of relationship where they would have grown old together if they had been given the opportunity and I think for me it’s important to recognize the importance of their relationship even if it’s not a long one in canon because of Gwen’s death. I think that a lot of time their relationship is overlooked and diminished in favor of using it as a springboard or a backstory for Peter’s other relationships. 

Also have this video that basically spurred this post because it’s very well done and evokes a lot of feelings.

[missgwendolyne]

Evey Halloween Gwen dresses in the full Hogwarts Ravenclaw school uniform. She’s got everything from the robe to the tie, and everything between. She even has a time turner necklace and a replica wand and that’s just the tea.

[missgwendolyne]

A  quick meta on my characterization of Gwen and her not being a flawless character. 

 I feel like in TASM ( as well as other forms of media ) Gwen is presented to you as this perfect girl. She’s pretty, smart, and good and while all these things are also true about my Gwen I recognize that trying to be perfect is a flaw in itself. My Gwen strives to be the perfect daughter and friend thus leaving herself spread too thin and insecure about many aspects of her life because she’s trying to reach this unobtainable goal. I think it’s important to make note that Gwen thinks this is what her parents want from her but that’s not truly the case. Gwen’s parents want her to try her best not be the best. It’s a misinterpretation by Gwen and she brings it upon herself to be perfect. It causes strain between her and her parents as well as puts way too much pressure on her shoulders. 

I think that Gwen Stacy is hope, optimism, and light but in her strive to become perfect she really loses part of herself. It’s not until college ( if she makes it that far depending on the verse) that she really lets go of this idea of being perfect that she really blossoms. She finally comes out to her friends and family, she’s more willing to spend time socializing and on her mental health rather than being worried about what people think, and she’s more accepting of the fact that she does have limitations.

[inthegroundontime]

((Something I love about the Funns is that, despite their bickering, you never doubt that Antigone and Rudyard love each other. Instead, what you see is the awkward navigation of adult sibling relationships. They’re hard, because this is the person you’ve known your whole life, who has been your constant ally and constant adversary; the only one who knows what it was like to grow up in your world, all your quirks and traumas and secrets and yet... sometimews we are born into familes where we couldn’t be less like our siblings. One is a visionary; the other is a realist. One craves romance and acceptance; the other is so doggedly independent, it borders on self-sabotage. One is an artist; the other fixates on earthly achievements. At the same time, they’re the only people in the world who match our spirits so well - our competitive streaks, our perfectionism, our passion - that we can’t tell if we want to hug or kill them. And when you’re kids, you have healthy outlets for these feelings through play. But as adults? We don’t play anymore to vent our real world struggles and frustatrations. We are meant to talk them out. How do you talk things out with someone who knows you intuitively - or a childhood verson of you that you are shedding - and, as such, can hit you where it hurts most and has unique power in your life? What do you do when that person isn’t the childhood playmate you remember anymore? What do you do when you aren’t the same you from twenty years ago? How do you navigate an important and life-long relationship?

Rudyard and Antigone screw up a lot. They are not always kind to each other. But every episode, they try to be better. They try to be better people and the result is that, over time, they become better siblings to each other as well. It’s subtle and it’s nuanced - much like real life - and I love it.